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Life Sciences

Is this submission part of ICaP/PW (Introductory Composition at Purdue/Professional Writing)?

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Abstract

Copper is an essential metal that is key in many metabolic functions and is a vital cofactor in many enzymes. Copper homeostasis is dually important for optimal health. Excess copper has been associated with minor symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and memory loss as well as with neurological disorders such as Wilson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and some cancers in humans. Similarly, excess copper has been shown to damage visceral organs and produce abnormal behaviors in multiple fish species including the zebrafish who has a high degree of genome sequence homology when compared to humans. For this reason, the zebrafish is an advantageous model for the study of copper toxicity. In this study, we assessed survival, behavioral alterations, and morphological changes in developing zebrafish. We hypothesized that zebrafish exposed to higher levels of copper during embryogenesis would show signs of increased physiological and behavioral stress. To test this hypothesis, zebrafish embryos were obtained through natural spawning and exposed to a control or one of three experimental groups: 13ppb, 130ppb or 1300ppb (current regulatory concentration in US drinking water) copper. Fish were exposed through 120 hours post fertilization (hpf). Survival was assessed every 24 h and behavioral analysis was performed at 120 hpf using the DanioVision chamber and EthoVision software. Copper caused mortality at 1300ppb and decreased time spent moving as well as decreased counterclockwise rotation frequency at 130ppb (p<0.05). Developmental exposure to copper produces dysfunctional locomotor behavior and mortality at concentrations lower than regulatory concentration in US drinking water.

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The Effects of Environmental Copper Exposure on Developing Zebrafish

Copper is an essential metal that is key in many metabolic functions and is a vital cofactor in many enzymes. Copper homeostasis is dually important for optimal health. Excess copper has been associated with minor symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and memory loss as well as with neurological disorders such as Wilson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and some cancers in humans. Similarly, excess copper has been shown to damage visceral organs and produce abnormal behaviors in multiple fish species including the zebrafish who has a high degree of genome sequence homology when compared to humans. For this reason, the zebrafish is an advantageous model for the study of copper toxicity. In this study, we assessed survival, behavioral alterations, and morphological changes in developing zebrafish. We hypothesized that zebrafish exposed to higher levels of copper during embryogenesis would show signs of increased physiological and behavioral stress. To test this hypothesis, zebrafish embryos were obtained through natural spawning and exposed to a control or one of three experimental groups: 13ppb, 130ppb or 1300ppb (current regulatory concentration in US drinking water) copper. Fish were exposed through 120 hours post fertilization (hpf). Survival was assessed every 24 h and behavioral analysis was performed at 120 hpf using the DanioVision chamber and EthoVision software. Copper caused mortality at 1300ppb and decreased time spent moving as well as decreased counterclockwise rotation frequency at 130ppb (p<0.05). Developmental exposure to copper produces dysfunctional locomotor behavior and mortality at concentrations lower than regulatory concentration in US drinking water.